The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-11-12


and his lovely wife was az It's height
the two. accompanied by the young
wife's mother and twenty soldiers. rode
out 70 the hot springs. six miles from
the fort. 10 take bath While in the
bath, which Is near the Rio Grande, an
Indians arrow passed over their heads.
Then a shower Of arrows fell around
them and band of wild Apache In
dians rushed down upon them, whoop-
ing and yelling like "A band Of demons.
Several Of the soldiers fell dead,
pierced with poisoned arrows. This
frightened the rest, who fled. Another
shower OF arrows. and the beautiful
bride and her mother fell in the water.
pierced by the cruel weapons Of the
Apache. With his wife dying before
his eyes. Colonel Prlton lcaped up the
bank, graspcd his rifle and killed the
leader Of the savage fends. But the
Apachcs were too much for the
Colonel. Pierced with two poisoned
arrows, he swan into the river and hid
under an oyer-hanging rock. After
the savage had left. the Colonel swan
the river and made his way back to
Fort Macrae. Here his wounds were
dressed, and he finally recovered. but
only to live a blasted life-wthOut
love, with vision of his beautiful
wife, pierced with poisoned arrows,
dying perpetually before his eyes.
After the death of his wife IA change
came to Colonel Pelton. He seemed TO
think that he had sacred mission
from Heaven TO aycnge his young
wife's death. He secured the most
unerring rifles, surrounded himself
with brave companions, and cOnse-
Grated himself TO the work Of revenge.
He was always anxious TO lead any and
all expeditions against the Apaches.
Whenever any of the other Indians
were at war with the Apaches. Colonel
Pelton would soon be at the head of the
former One day he would be at the
head of his soldiers and the next day
he would be at the head of band Of
Mexicans. Nothing gave him pleas
ure but the sight of dead Apaches. He
deiled the Indian arrows and courted
death. Once, with band of the Wild
est desperadoes, he penetrated one
hundred miles into the Apache coun-
try. The Apachcs never dreamed that
any thing but IN entire regiment would
have dared to follow them to their
camp in the mountains, So when
Colonel Pelton swooped down into their
lodges with ton trusty followers, firing
their Henry rifles at the rate of twenty
times n minute. the Apaches fled in
CONSERVATION, leaving their women
and children behind. 1t was then
that there darted out of lodge
white woman,
"Spare the womcnw she cried, and
tainted to the ground
When the Colonel jumped from his
saddle 10 lift up the woman he found
she was blind,
"How came you here. woman. with
these cursed ApachcsP" he asked
~ was wounded and captured" she
said, "ten years ago. Take, oh take
me back again.
"Haye you any relatives in TeXas7'
asked the Colonel.
mo, my father lives in Albuquerque.
My husband, Colonel Pelton, and my
mother were killed by the Indians"
Great God, Bellal Is it you-my
wifea"
"Oh, Albert, knew you would
come" exclaimed the poor wife, blindly
reaching her hands TO clasp her hus-
band.
"Bella-Bclla." and the old soldier
clasped his lost bride To his bosom.
OF course there was JOY in the old
ranohe when Colonel Pelton got back
his wife. The Apachcs had carried the
wounded woman away with them. The
poison caused inflammation, which
finally destroyed the eye-sight.
After my lecture in San Antonio
rode over to see the Colonel in his
Texas rancho. As | entered the door
he was reading n newspaper to his
blind wife. One hand lay lovingly on
his brave strong arm and in the other
she held II bouquet of fragrant Cape
jessamines which he had gathered for
her. 1t was picture of absolute hap
pincss. -EH Perkins, in ". L. Sun